On this program Maurice Peacock of Bramhall, Cheshire, England, told of his own experience. The program was as follows:

Host: Welcome to our program today entitled "The Listening Ear." Our guest, Maurice Peacock, will describe for you the steps which led to the complete restoration of his hearing, and then we'll discuss the prayerful reasoning process of Christian Science, which brought his healing.

When did all this take place, Mr. Peacock?

Mr. Peacock: It was in the early 1930's. I was suddenly seized with an acute earache while at home one week end. I had recently started a new job, and I was anxious not to be away from it; so I returned to my work as usual on Monday in a town some distance away. But the trouble became so much worse that I went to see a doctor. He examined my ear, said the condition was serious, and urged me to return home at once.

The next day I returned to London and sought the advice of my own physician. He made arrangements for me to see a Harley Street specialist immediately, taking me to the consultation in his own car. The specialist diagnosed disease of the middle ear, a perforated eardrum, and symptoms of mastoiditis. He said he considered an operation necessary, but first he must take steps to reduce the inflammation. For this purpose I was to be treated by him three times daily. On the second day he informed me that I would be permanently deaf in one ear.

At this point I thought for the first time of Christian Science. I had learned of this religion a few weeks earlier when I attended a Wednesday evening testimony meeting at the invitation of a friend. After that I had purchased a copy of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy. I knew very little of this religion, but I had been impressed with the testimony meeting, and I felt Christian Science could help me, too.

So I went to see the friend who had invited me to church the first time. He wisely directed me to the office of a Christian Science practitioner, who listened patiently and lovingly to all I had to say. To my surprise, I remember, she seemed to attach no great importance to the physical difficulty, and instead of discussing the symptoms, as I had anticipated, she talked to me of God as my Father-Mother and of my relationship to Him as His perfect child.

Although I could understand the meaning of only a little of what she said, I was conscious of a great sense of relief, and my fear disappeared. My ear ceased to trouble me, and I felt exhilarated and filled with a desire to get on with my job. The healing, however, was not complete at that time, although after that one visit to the practitioner, the ear stopped discharging, and the severe pain I had experienced was completely gone. But I still was entirely deaf in that ear.

For the next two or three months, although I was kept very active in my business, I read from the textbook, Science and Health, from time to time, and the meaning of what I was reading became clearer to me. More and more I realized that man's faculties are spiritual— that they come from God and are forever perfect and indestructible. I had no further medical treatment, but continued to study Christian Science.

Then one evening, during a telephone conversation with a friend, I unconsciously put the receiver to the deaf ear. I suddenly realized that I could hear perfectly with that ear, and my hearing has continued entirely normal from that moment, a period of more than twenty years.

Host: Time enough to establish without doubt the fact that your healing was indeed complete! Thank you so much, Mr. Peacock, for being with us today, and for giving us such a fine healing to consider.

Friends, as we said earlier, our title today is "The Listening Ear." It's taken from the hymn you'll hear Kenny Baker sing at the end of the program. The hymn starts:

Just what is this "Word of God" which is still here, still bringing its healing message?

In the first century, Paul wrote in his letter to the Hebrews, "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God." And centuries earlier, the Psalmist had said: "For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. ... Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

Of course, a Bible concordance lists many other references to this phrase, "word of God"; but from just these two examples, might we not conclude that the Word of God is the law of God, who is the creative, governing, divine Principle of the universe? Now let's see how an understanding of God as the only creative cause or divine Principle was important in Mr. Peacock's experience. Let's follow the line of reasoning that brought about his healing.

Mr. Peacock visited a Christian Science practitioner, who talked with him about God and about his own relationship to God. When the practitioner referred to God as infinite Father-Mother, and to man, that is, the real selfhood of each one of us, as the perfect, spiritual child of God, she was speaking of God as the only cause or divine Principle of the universe—the divine Principle, which maintains man and all creation in perfect harmony and order, entirely free from chaos, disorder, or disease of any kind. These truths completely wiped out the sense of fear which Mr. Peacock had been entertaining. The pain disappeared.

But, you'll recall, he was still unable to hear with one ear. How was this situation corrected? Mr. Peacock has told us that he continued to study the Christian Science textbook [Science and Health], and its meaning became more and more clear to him. He perceived that man's faculties, including hearing and sight, truly are spiritual and that as such they can never be impaired nor destroyed. Now, how did he reach this conclusion?

Well, you see, Christian Science starts with an understanding of God as explained in the Bible. In fact, the first tenet of Christian Science is, "As adherents of Truth, we take the inspired Word of the Bible as our sufficient guide to eternal Life" (Science and Health, p. 497). And in the Bible, the book of Proverbs states, "The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them."

Now, turning to Science and Health (p. 486), we find this declaration: "Sight, hearing, all the spiritual senses of man, are eternal. They cannot be lost. Their reality and immortality are in Spirit and understanding, not in matter,— hence their permanence." So as Mr. Peacock gained a clearer understanding of the Word or law of God, he realized that actually there is no room in God's kingdom for imperfection. With this enlightenment he awakened to the fact that his hearing had become normal. And that, friends, is Christian Science healing.

The musical selection on the program was Hymn No. 175 from the Christian Science Hymnal (Lo, He sent His Word and healed them).